KmB Pro-People Youth SD presents…
“FRONTLINE: Reclaim History. Obtain Victory.”
Please join us for our community reportback/cultural event on SATURDAY, APRIL 9. 2011 * 12pm to 2pm. (please arrive early - doors open @ 11am) * MALCOLM X LIBRARY * 5148 Market St. San Diego, CA (corner of Market / Euclid).
Philippines 101 Workshop Series
* Concerned why poverty continues to exist in the Philippines?
* Interested to know about the Filipino people’s history and our history of migration?
* Want to learn about the Philippine progressive movement now and then?
SIGN UP NOW FOR PHILIPPINES 101!
Jointly sponsored by KmB San Diego (Kabataang maka-Bayan) Pro People Youth & Operation Samahan:
Philippines 101 is a four-workshop series that tackles Philippine history, the roots of the socio-economic problems in the country, and the Filipino progressive movement’s response. Previous classes were composed of people from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities ranging from activists to professionals to students, including US-born and immigrant Filipinos. Philippines 101 also aims to raise the participant’s consciousness to actively take part in the transformation of the Filipino community here and abroad.
WHEN: MONDAYs: Nov 8th; 15th, 22nd & 29th
TIME: 6pm – 8:30
WHERE: OPERATION SAMAHAN
2841 Highland Avenue National City CA 91950
Suggested Donation $30.00 (to cover costs of class reader/materials)
Class is open to anyone interested but space is extremely limited. Registration is required to attend (no walk-ins, please).
Participants are expected to attend all four workshops and will be given a Certificate of Attendance by the end of the workshop series. All participants must register by 10/29/2010.
To register, please fill out the form at the bottom of this email and send it to sdpropeopleyouth@gmail.com.
Your registration will be confirmed by email on 11/01/2010.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Started in 2001, Philippines 101 is a four-part series composed of the following workshops offered this fall:
Workshop 1: Weaving Our Collective Story
(Paghahabi ng Ating Kolektibong Kuwento)
Monday, Nov 8th, 6pm-8:30pm,
We can begin to weave our collective story by looking at our personal experiences as Filipin@ youth. In this workshop we tackle the critical issues that affect us as Filipino youth, from our education and jobs to our encounters with US institutions such as the mass media and the justice system. What have been the community’s common experiences throughout our history of migration?
__________________________________________________________________________________
Workshop 2: Revisiting the Past
(Muling Pagbisita sa Kasaysayan)
Monday, Nov 15th , 6pm-8:30pm,
Building on the first workshop, we begin to uncover the roots of our migration and explore: pre-colonial history, colonization and occupation up to the current socio-economic and political state of the Philippines. What are the underlying problems that have kept at least 75% of the population in perpetual poverty? This workshop covers our people’s history with a focus on western economic and military intervention and issues of globalization, military bases and international trade.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Workshop 3: Landlords, Loopholes & the Prevalence of Corruption
(Mga Panginoong Maylupa at ang Pananatili ng Korupsyon)
Monday, Nov 22nd , 6pm-8:30pm,
The third session will allow us to gain an understanding of the two other major issues faced by Philippine society: land control and the power of the local ruling elite. Well over half of Filipinos are farmers yet most do not own the land they till. Who controls the land and how does the system affect the Filipino people?
__________________________________________________________________________________
Workshop 4: The Filipino People’s Response (Ang Tugon ng mga Mamamayang Pilipino)
Monday, Nov 29th , 6pm-8:30pm,
How have Filipinos responded to the problems the Philippine nation faces? Examine the approaches the progressive movement in the Philippines has taken over the years, from lobbying for legislative reforms to armed struggle. We will discuss the many different sectors, from farmers and indigenous peoples to women to the LGBTcommunity and how they work together for social justice. Finally, we will discuss how local organizations, including KmB, have responded to political and social issues in the Philippines and linked our people’s history with our experiences in the US and the San Diego area.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Reclaim our history of struggle!
Reroot in our culture of resistance!
Resurge and advance our role in effecting change!
__________________________________________________________________________________
CONTACT INFO:
KmB (Kabataang maka-Bayan), USA
Pro-People Youth, San Diego Chapter
EMAIL:SDpropeopleyouth@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/KmB-SD
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/KmB_SD
It is the very nature of the world and of history that while there are youth wasted in the pens of old societies, there are also youth who question and fight the outdated order, striving to reach the new stage of development in which they stand to gain.
- Prof. Jose Maria Sison “Youth on the March”, 1968
PHILIPPINES 101 REGISTRATION FORM - Fall 2010
Name:
Phone Number:
Email address:
Occupation (If a student, please indicate school/program/major):
Organization/position, if any:
How did you hear about Philippines 101? (name of friend, name of listserve, etc.)
What are your reasons for wanting to participate in P101?
(Please rank from 1 to 6, with 1 being the most important to you.)
[ ] To satisfy my intellectual curiosity
[ ] To know more about Philippine history
[ ] To learn about the different forms of resistance
[ ] To better serve the Filipino youth and/or Filipino community
[ ] To stand in solidarity with the struggles of the Filipino people
[ ] To equip me with knowledge as I do my organizing work
What workshops will you be able to attend?
(Please mark what workshops you will be able to attend.)
[ ] W’shop 1: Paghahabi ng Ating Kolektibong Kuwento: Weaving
Our Collective Story
[ ] W’shop 2: Muling Pagbisita sa Kasaysayan: Revisiting the Past
[ ] W’shop 3: Mga Panginoong Maylupa at ang Pananatili ng
Korupsyon: Landlords, Loopholes and the Prevalence of Corruption
[ ] W’shop 4: Ang Tugon ng mga Mamamayang Pilipino: The Filipino
People’s Response
Will you be attending with someone else? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Is there anything else that you want the organizers to know about you?
(Please give a brief response.)
In support of our comrades from the Black Riders Liberation Party and our community at large, please join us tonight at the
WORLD BEAT CULTURAL CENTER 2100 PARK BLVD San Diego, CA
All power to the people. Let us come together to celebrate our cultures of resistance and our ongoing struggle for justice!
On January 1st 2009 Oscar Grant was murdered by Johanes Mehserle and Tony Pirone. Recently he was not only the first cop on trial for murder while on duty but also the first convicted…Even though this conviction would not have happened without the dilligent work of the people We in the Black Riders Liberation Party feel that involuntary manslaughter is a joke and a slap in the face to Oscar Grants Family and to the victims of police terrorism everywhere. This small victory is an accomplishment but not the end of the work in this case or any other instance of police terorrism. With Mehserle’s sentencing date coming up November 5th it is important that the people serve as a watchdog on the INjustice system and see that Mehserle receives the maximum sentence possible.
The BLACK RIDERS LIBERATION PARTY has been on the front lines against police terorrism since 1996 and have sacrificed blood, sweat and tears in the fight for justice for Oscar Grant.
This event will be a film screening of the documentary “Operation Small Axe” by Adimu Madyun and MOI jr on the Movement for Justice for Oscar Grant followed by a question and answer with Minister of Information Jr of the P.O.C.C. and a panel of community organizers: Abel Macias (PSL) and Ree Obana (KmB) as well as a music performance by the revolutionary hip hop group “Da Movement”
DJ Abba Roots spinning the classic tunes in Reggae and conscious hip hop.
Suggested donation $1-10 but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
Filipino WWII Veterans Sue Over Benefits
Bob Egelko - San Francisco Chronicle
Filipino veterans of World War II and their widows have sued the U.S. government in San Francisco over a 2009 law that granted them partial veterans’ benefits, but excluded spouses and required verification through records that were largely destroyed years ago in a fire.
“You should be treated like other war veterans. … You shed blood for freedom and democracy,” attorney Arnedo Valera told about 75 elderly Filipino Americans who demonstrated Friday outside the federal courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue, where the lawsuit was filed a day earlier. It was the second suit this year to challenge the government’s treatment of more than 200,000 Filipinos who were drafted by the United States and fought alongside Americans in the war, when the Philippines was a U.S. commonwealth. Congress denied them pensions and other military benefits in 1946. After years of protests, President Obama signed a law in February 2009 granting payments of $15,000 to Filipino veterans who had become U.S. citizens, and $9,000 to noncitizens.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday it has paid benefits to 17,000 veterans or their widows. But lawyers for the veterans said a majority of applications for benefits have been rejected, even from those who had discharge papers and other proof of service, because the department used a federal registry of military personnel to determine eligibility. Millions of records in that registry were destroyed in a 1973 fire. “It’s unfair,” said Felino Punsalan, 92, who wore a blue uniform to Friday’s demonstration. Now a San Francisco resident, he said he had served in Cebu City during the war but had been denied benefits because his name is not on the database. Punsalan said he has appealed the denial and forwarded a copy of his discharge papers.
Both Thursday’s lawsuit and a suit filed by another group of Bay Area Filipinos in June challenged the government’s reliance on the fire-damaged records. The new suit goes further by including claims for veterans’ widows and contesting other benefit restrictions. The 2009 law provided payments only to veterans who were alive when Obama signed the measure, and to the widows of veterans who died after the law took effect but before receiving benefits. If a veteran died before February 2009, the suit said, his widow and other survivors are ineligible for benefits.
“No valid or rational basis exists to discriminate against those who died before the passage of the law,” the suit said.
It also challenged two other provisions: the lesser payment of $9,000 to noncitizens, and the requirement that Filipinos receiving payments forgo any claim to a military pension.
The Department of Veterans Affairs declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said the 2009 law “is one way the U.S. honors the bravery and service of Filipino WWII veterans. VA is committed to full and expeditious implementation of this authority.”
E-mail Bob Egelko at begelko@sfchronicle.com
International Workers Day mobilization in LA.
On behalf of Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB / Pro-People Youth) USA and the Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP), we in the Filipino community stand in solidarity with the millions protesting the racist legislation of Arizona, S.B. 1070.
Here on May Day, the internationally recognized day of the worker, we speak in unison as an integral section of the work force that creates the interwoven fabric of America is under attack - not judged for their deeds or character, but for their darker skin tones and Latin last names. By the very nature of the bill, we from the Philippine archipelago, fall within the very statutes of “reasonable suspicion”.
Leaving a homeland and family, traveling miles upon miles under dangerous conditions, all in an effort to extract the bare minimum from the vast amounts of wealth that the United States has accumulated, many times from the shores we just departed - it is from these same homelands that we flee, where the raw materials are exported to create every single product that America enjoys.
It is from these lands you see the hands that cook, clean, repair, build, and maintain. Here we care for your young, heal your sick, and continue to do every other possible employment opportunity we can find no matter how minimal the compensation. While back in our countries there is no one left to look after our bedridden elders, soothe our crying children, or speak out against injustices.
We are neither criminals nor the drain on American society that the supporters of S.B. 1070 will have you believe. We are not the homeless or wretched refuse. We are those that have left home tirelessly to reach that golden door. We are the huddled masses yearning for respect and dignity.
We will not be moved.
We will not leave.
Full Rights for Immigrants Now!
Fight Racism and Bigotry!
MAYO UNO - The youth and workers of Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan & Damayan Migrant Workers Association - New York City / New Jersey.
Check out their fierce banner!
========================================================
Statement of Unity on May 1st
Immigrant Communities in Action
April 27, 2010
New York City
A Call to Immigrant Organizations & Workers Centers: Arizona’s Law Should NOT Be a Call for Schumer’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform Blueprint” “We believe our blueprint is even stronger than the Arizona senators’ proposal in stopping the flow of illegal immigrants because our plan both increases border security and prevents employers from hiring illegal immigrants”
- Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Last week as Arizona became the focal point of the immigrant rights struggle, Senator Schumer clearly articulated the heart of his “blueprint” for Comprehensive Immigration Reform- more of the very same dangerous, anti-immigrant, criminalization passed as SB1070 in Arizona.
Across the nation, the last month has turned into of the most historic moments for the immigrant rights movement in the U.S. As the worst anti-immigrant law was signed in Arizona, millions across the country are gearing up to pour out into the streets again on May 1st for real immigration reform.
This statement is being written as a message to immigrant organizations like ours who continue to struggle for real reform and must always remain accountable to our bases- the very people whose lives are at stake everyday in our jobs, in our neighborhoods, at the borders, and at every interaction with law enforcement. Our communities cannot afford to settle for just any reform or bill simply because it is more politically ‘feasible’. Our lives cannot be compromised for political expediency.
Our call as immigrant workers, families, and youth is for a reform rooted in our dignity and human rights. We state clearly as low-wage, migrant worker-led organizations across the city and country that our call is NOT for Schumer’s blueprint of immigration reform. Our message comes after direct consultations with thousands of our members who are undocumented low-wage workers and youth from diverse national and ethnic origins.
The unfortunate call for a second May 1st mobilization at Foley Square has divided our movement and marginalized our right of immigrant communities to self-determine what our vision for justice truly is. New York City needs a unified call with the right of all immigrant workers to determine their position on Schumer’s blueprint and the issues affecting our lives. There is a real and legitimate outcry from the bases of immigrant people to not use May 1st and the indignation at Arizona’s new law to advocate for any bill from Senators Schumer and Graham when they have clearly demonstrated their intent to permanently criminalize immigrants and expand Arizona-type law nationally.
Contrary to what many of our allies are saying, we do not need to nor want to see Schumer’s full bill based on the obviously dangerous “Four Pillars” blueprint we have already glimpsed. We are not so naive as to think that Schumer’s bill will be a turn-around from his blueprint. We are not so shortsighted as to trade off decades of criminalization of millions of immigrants, in order to pass any immigration reform bill right now. It will not be a blessing to see the full bill or have it introduced in Congress, it will be a curse akin to Sensenbrenner in 2005.
Arizona’s racist SB1070 has shown us that we as an immigrant rights movement are at a critical juncture in history. The decisions we make as leadership of communities and organizations must answer directly to the very people we claim to struggle for. And yet, with the stakes as high as they are in this moment, the masses of immigrant people have not been told the truth about Schumer’s plans in order to meet the political expediency of Washington D.C., belt-way strategy. This lack of genuine and deep political discussion is damaging to our unity as a movement, and in turn damaging to our communities. As organizations of immigrants and workers, our unity is essential to any reform, be it labor or immigration, in an Obama administration and in future administrations. May 1st, International Workers Day, is an opportunity for education and expansion within our communities, and solidarity and unity in our movement.
Proposals such as Schumer and Graham’s are tacit agreements to the xenophobic and racist sentiments that have led to hundreds of hate crimes against migrants and the passing of Arizona’s SB1070. We do not accept the pillars put forth by Senator Schumer. We call upon all immigrant rights organizations to denounce the proposal laid out by Schumer and Graham, and to continue the struggle for a comprehensive and humane immigration reform based on dignity and human rights.
Our lives and future are not a political game. Our children’s future are not a bargaining chip to gain political power at this moment. Victory for our communities is not in passing legislation that panders to the right where our own ‘leaders’ call for ‘militarized borders’, ‘tougher enforcement’, and ‘criminalizing immigrants.’ This is not the way to ‘win’ perhaps one of the most inspiring social justice movements of our time led by millions of the most disenfranchised people in this country.
Join us for May 1 at Union Square @ 12 noon
in commemoration of International Workers Day and for full rights for immigrants.
Immigrant Communities in Action (ICA) was founded in 2005 to allow true bottom-up, grassroots decision making by low-wage, immigrant people and to organize for real and just immigration reform in New York City and nationally.
March with our immigrant and worker-led contingent!
Join a united, organized and militant formation that shows our power!
Call us at 212-564-6057 or email: contact.immigrantcommunities@gmail.com
ICA is:
National Organizational Statements on Senators Schumer and Graham’s Blueprint:
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
“The DHS raid and SB 1070 law in Arizona are a turning point in our fight for socially just immigration reforms. The “immigration blueprint” announced by Senators Schumer and Graham last month is a proposal that allows such criminalization of immigrants. It promises to “fill gaps in apprehension capabilities” that will likely lead to the use of local police nationally to terrorize immigrant communities.”
National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC)
“In what way is the Schumer‐Graham blueprint going to reform what is now wrong with immigration policy? Have we forgotten that the “broken” immigration law that we all agree needs “fixing” has the name of Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) enacted in 1996? IIRIRA closed‐off many avenues to U.S. citizenship; created many new bars for those who apply for permanent residency visas; retroactively reclassified minor offenses to the law into aggravated crimes; restricted public benefits to immigrants who are legal permanent…In what way do Senators Schumer and Graham’s four pillars will change all the wrongs contained in IIIRA? Regretfully, their broad outline for CIR would not fix the wrongs brought about by IIRIRA. Instead, it will contribute to further entrench and reinforce the most negative aspects of it, namely a mistaken and negative view of immigrant communities as a threat and a burden to the United States of America. Will any of their proposed pillars for immigration policy reform change the highly punitive legal framework that has authorized billions of dollars in misguided and failed enforcement measures? What they are proposing is more of the same. Because of its fundamentally flawed orientation, our current immigration law has not been able to stem migration flows, nor has it done anything to change the voracious appetite of U.S. employers for cheap and exploitable labor.”
American Friend Service Committee (AFSC)
“The Schumer-Graham plan would violate core values consistent with a democratic society,” says Christian Ramirez, national coordinator of AFSC’s immigrants’ rights programs. ”We must choose to respect the human rights and dignity of immigrants and thus protect the future of all in the U.S.”
COME THRU. HELP US RAISE FUNDS FOR KmB SD YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS.
LIVE IN STORE - BAMBU!!
The end of the year is approaching for our high school seniors. Our money & tax dollars have gone towards funding this war & bailing out big wig companies, while our families our going bankrupt, homes are foreclosed & JOINING THE MILITARY has become more of an option for our youth; college becomes even more unaffordable and sufficient jobs are no where to be found. The pressures and stress are felt by the youth, by their parents “What are you going to do with your future? What profession is going to give you stability!!?”
This struggle is familiar to many of us, right? These are the same reasons why our parents and family had to migrate from PI to the states and/or abroad to seek JOB SECURITY, stability & a better future for us. This is why many of our parents are in the military and/or Nurses - they new that this was right; secure.
For many of us older youth/young adults who now have families & young children to raise, we have also felt the brunt of this economic crisis. Sustainable jobs are hard to find. Some of us are educators/teachers who have been laid off; pink slips are being passed out - yes, even after working at your job for several years. Those w/ degrees/certifications/licenses are also subjected to the wrath of this recession.
KmB will be launching the Youth Essay & Writing Scholarship in May. Those eligible to apply are high school seniors in SAN DIEGO county who will be graduating. We will be holding a series of back to back fundraisers to raise enough funds to grant 10 scholarships to youth.
Relax with us this Sunday morning/afternoon at the ARMORY SHOP.
BEATS. BREAK BREAD & BUILD. DJ Kuttin Kandi, Dj Charlie Rock & Jon Doe spinnin sunday brunch sets! Honor the late GURU. & let’s support our comrade BAMBU as he’ll be doing an IN STORE at the ARMORY!!
PEACE!
CONTACT:
Ree Obaña: SDpropeopleyouth@gmail.com
Kat Carrido:
FOR RELEASE:
BAMBU x ARMORY x KMB-SD COLLABO
March 22, 2010 – West Coast MC Bambu and Armory Hip Hop, in partnership with community organization KmB San Diego, have created 3 t-shirt collaborations, which are available now at Armory Hip Hop Stores, armoryhiphop.com, and at Bambu’s live shows.
The collaboration is a natural fit - the Armory plays an active role in honoring & preserving the true roots of hip hop by recognizing the patrons & respective blocks as its backbone, while Bambu’s music speaks to the experiences of those who are raised in these neighborhoods. The collaboration is anchored by Kabataang maka-Bayan San Diego (KmB-SD), a progressive grassroots organization that works with the youth to educate and empower them toward local and global social change.
The bold and striking designs were inspired by verses off of Bambu’s latest EP, “…paper cuts…” (Descriptions and photos follow. All designs available in black or white)
Representative of the common struggles faced by youth, women & our communities; these 3 designs pay homage & tribute to BAMBU’s lyrical content; moreover, the true essence of the people & our ongoing, necessary fight for genuine change & progress.
”ORIGINAL GUNSLINGER”
What’s your survival gear? This design is remnant of BAMBU x FATGUMS EP, A Peaceful Riot (Gunslinger) combined with the hook from ”Slow Down”. This piece speaks to what happens when the money GETS LOW. Bottom line: stay sharp & stay strapped (metaphorically speaking). During these tough times we must be precise & get educated about our rights to SURVIVE and RESIST.
”THE QUEEN IS DEAD”
“BOOM BYE BYE…This is why I don’t refer to women as queens/cuz you got fingers like me, to squeeze an M16.” Say goodbye to the contradiction & exploitation; demand the RESPECT for the women in our lives. The sacrifice. The revolutionary…”I’ll call you a soldier instead!”
“I BELIEVE IN THE BLOCK”
A subtle bar in “Slow Down,” yet a powerful principle & ideology. Simply put, rep your block, rep where you’re from! Progress is made when we anchor ourselves in the community & stand shoulder to shoulder. If we don’t believe in our block, whom will? So, where do you stand? & What’s your location!?!!
*****************************************
ABOUT ARMORY:
Since its inception 7 years ago, The ARMORY has grown to be a recognized hip hop brand nationwide & globally. The Armory base camp is located in the heart of the Gaslamp District, Downtown San Diego, with stores now open in Chicago, Tokyo, Japan, London & Korea. Behind the business is owner, CROS1 of Freestyle Session fame & the ARMORY MASSIVE crew; a network of B-boys, B-girls, MC’s, DJ’s, Producers, Graffiti Artists, Designers, Community Organizers & Hip Hop Heads worldwide. Armory Survival Gear is an in-house brand that exists to push a collection of gear reigning from the east coast to west. Equally important, the shop stays true to the SD community, pushing the artistry of local SD homegrown creators & designer within the hometown and around the world.
*****************************************
ABOUT BAMBU:
Bambu is a Los Angeles-based MC, community organizer and father. For more information visit www.bambu.la
*****************************************
ABOUT KmB:
Kabataang maka-Bayan, or Pro-People Youth, is a progressive youth and student organization whose aim is to raise the social consciousness of the youth to organize and mobilize in response to issues affecting our local communities, the oppressed people of the Philippines and other pro-people issues around the world. For more information visit: www.propeopleyouth.com and http://kmb-sd.tumblr.com
Following the opening street theatre/skit by the youth, which re-enacted the reality of police brutality (to a special remix by KmB SD & Armory Massive’s own DJ FELT1) (*See below for remix), the opening act of BAMBU’s PAPER CUT’s show in SD continued with this special slide show/video montage! (Big ups to DJ R-TYPE for his skill on the turntables! Big ups to Mon for his video editing expertise!!.) These pictures were collected from mass members of KmB SD. This is a reflection of our youth, the blocks we BELIEVE in, the hoods we grew up in & our families & fallen soldiers. Also featured was the organizing work the spans across the nation to NYC (UGNAYAN & DAMAYAN!!!) around the globe to our homeland…This was a call to action.. to the people..to our community..to get involved & to stay sharp! Connect our day to day struggles to whats happening in our homeland…and in other countries where there are injust wars!
Page 1 of 2
inspired by the work of SAUL BASS, ART GOODMAN and DAVE NAGATA.
hitchcock typeface by MATT TERICH. tumblr theme by MATTHEW BUCHANAN.
